Growing up as an only child, my three older cousins were like my sisters. One of the best parts of being in the city this summer has been living only two blocks away from the one closest to me in age, Miranda. She has lived here for about 5 years, since she moved down to attend the College for Creative Studies. It has been so great living so close– as we’ve grown up, we haven’t been able to see as much of each other. But this summer, I can walk about 5 minutes and be right at her door, and I even run into her on the street sometimes. We have gone to free comedy shows put on by her friends in the recycling center, gotten free tickets to broadway shows in the Fisher Theater, gone to free movies in New Center Park, etc.
It has also been interesting being able to meet other young people living in the city through her. Many of these young people are artists who have either come here for school, or moved here from another city (Brooklyn, for example, as this article talks about: Last Stop on the L Train: Detroit) for what they’ve perceived as the creative opportunity. As we’ve discussed in seminar, however, this represents a tricky dynamic: many native Detroiters have been struggling a long time for what they have, while these youngsters come in and can, in some cases, have anything they like. It raises the question: will any of the benefits of this new desirable Detroit reach long time residents who have stayed in the face of abandonment and blight? I don’t have answers. I do know that none of the young people I have met have bad intentions (that I have been able to see). Perhaps the narrative needs to be more prevalent.
That is so awesome that you are living so close to your cousin! Having a chance to reconnect with a family member and have someone to show you around the city are two major things to have happen. It sounds like you’re having a great time in Detroit, and that’s nice to hear.